


Never Let You Go

by kaijoskopycat



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Humor, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Smut, Multi, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, v things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-10
Updated: 2014-05-10
Packaged: 2018-01-24 05:04:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1592636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaijoskopycat/pseuds/kaijoskopycat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aomine made a mistake once and let Kise go. Now he’s trying to mend what he’d broken years ago, but Kise has built barriers and is determined not to fall again until Aomine proves he truly loves him.</p>
<p>Based on the movie <i>No Strings Attached</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Let You Go

 

**~Ten Years Ago~**

There was always tension. Every member of their team felt it when the two of them were together. Everyone noticed the stolen glances, the raw appreciation, the purposeful touches. Everyone saw the way Kise's eyes lit up the moment Aomine stepped on the court. Everyone saw the way Aomine's lips spread into a wide, genuine grin the moment Kise came into view. 

Everyone saw it but them.

* * *

 

**~Eight Years Ago~**

With graduation so near, everyone had choices to make. Aomine had a career to consider across seas. Kise's popularity was skyrocketing in Japan. They had important decisions that neither one of them was sure how to make. 

Their relationship was no secret, no matter what they may have believed. They thought they were hiding things well, holding hands under the table, buying each other lunch here and there, walking each other home and the never ending sleepovers they always had together. No one believed they were just friends. Not even Kise believed it.

Aomine was the only one who was completely convinced.

When Kise confessed his feelings, Aomine ran. He told Kise there was never any love between them. He told him that he was a good lay, that he was a pretty face, that he was a friend, but nothing more and never would be. 

When Aomine ran, he ran all the way to America and he never looked back. Kise's heart dropped into his stomach and the acid destroyed the sentimental layer he had once been known for.

* * *

 

**~Four Years Ago~**

Aomine had thought he'd end up in Los Angeles because it was his dream to live in the city of angels. He never thought he'd end up in the cold hustle and bustle of New York City. The ceaseless vitality that the city exuded still took him by surprise. No matter how much stamina he may have had, he would never count himself amongst the city dwellers who's energy was rivaled only by their obstinate determination to risk their lives at every turn of a street corner. 

The party he'd been invited to was x'd out on his calendar. He had no intention of going, but the young woman he'd been "dating" was insistent. She came over, let herself in with the key he had mistakenly offered, and bounced like a child on the end of the bed until Aomine was too frustrated to say no. 

That was how he ended up in a hall full of New York's finest prestigious youth. He wasn't the only basketball player counted amongst the melting pot of talent. There were actors, actresses, artists and models. The final thought gave him pause, but he shook his head. 

_No way he's out here. He's still back in Japan._

As if summoned by his errant thought, a pair of golden eyes caught his attention. Across the room stood the very man his mind had just supplied the image for. He likened the sight to a dream, but when Kise crossed the room and extended a hand in greeting, the feel of that warm palm against his own was a dream made real. 

Kise's smile was still as bright as ever. His hair had grown long enough that he could tuck stray strands behind his ears. He laughed that same captivating, bell-like sound when Aomine flicked at a curled bang and pointed out the difference. 

Despite the small things that had remained the same, he could see the faint bags under Kise's eyes. Aomine could almost feel the tension in his shoulders mirroring that of the one that raced through the blond. As happy as he was to see Kise (a fact that still baffled him even after he left the party), he was instantly bombarded with the memories of their parting and the awful way he'd shunted Kise aside like he was nothing more than a faded Mai-chan magazine. The only difference was Kise didn't remain on his shelf like Mai-chan did. Kise fell to the floor and Aomine moved without bothering to pick him up.

"I thought you went to L.A.?"

Pulling himself from the deep recesses of his mind, Aomine palmed his nape and shook his head. "Eh... got drafted to New York instead. Guess it ain't so bad here. They're both cities. It's just colder here than it is there." 

Kise chuckled. "Yeah, I guess that's one of the few differences." 

The conversation died and the silence that hung between them was so heavy Aomine swore he could feel his back bowing from the pressure. "Hey, what brings you to New York?"

"Oh! My modeling went all international. It was great, really. They sent me here for a few shoots. I'm even gonna be a judge on one of those weird modeling competition shows." He ran his hands through his hair and laughed. "Can you imagine me on one of those? I'll probably sound so funny 'cause my English is still a little rusty."

Aomine chuckled softly. He could definitely picture Kise on a television show, competition or not. He had a flare for dramatics and America would love to see his pretty face and enthusiastic personality on screen. "Yeah, I can see you doing that."

Tension had finally started to dissipate when Aomine's girlfriend pranced up his side, wrapping herself around one of his arms. Golden orbs instantly darted toward her and Aomine saw the way the light faded from his eyes and the smile on Kise's face seemed just a hair tighter than it had before. 

"Oh, this is–" Aomine glanced at the girl on his arm. "This is Maiko."

Maiko's eyes lit up and she reached for Kise. "You're that new model, aren't you? I'm a big fan!" 

Kise's eyes darted between Aomine and Maiko. After a moments contemplation, a smile spread across his lips. Aomine might have been the only one to notice how fake it was. " _Mai_ ko-chan." He grabbed her hand a little too hard and shook. "How nice to meet you. I wish I could stay and talk, really, but I've gotta head back." He turned to face Aomine, inclining his head in a formal bow. The sight made Aomine cringe, but he waited for Kise to continue. "It was nice running into you, Aominecchi."

Aomine froze. As Kise turned his back, he reached out and grabbed the blond's shoulder. "Oi, I–"  _You called me Aominecchi_. "Maybe we could... exchange numbers, or somethin'? Its been a long time and we could get a burger to catch up, if you have the time." 

Kise took a step back out of Aomine's reach. "I don't know if–" His eyes moved from Aomine to Maiko and he lips twitched in the barest hint of a frown. It seemed that was all it took for him to cave. "Okay. Give me your phone." 

The device was hidden in his back pocket. Thankfully he'd worn a pair of slacks that gave him the room to hold the cell phone. He offered the device to Kise and watched as those slender fingers slid across the keys. He noticed that every so often Kise would meet Maiko's eyes and offer a faint smile, before he finally returned the phone to Aomine's hand. 

"Maybe I'll see you around." A simple wave of his hand was the only goodbye he received. And though he was left with a seething girlfriend, he left the party feeling considerably lighter than he had when he first arrived. 

* * *

 

**~One Year Ago~**

"With one of your teammates? That's rough, man." The bartender shook his head as he watched Aomine down yet another beer. He heard enough sob stories in one night to fill an entire novel and then some.

Aomine took another long swig, emptying the heavy mug and waving his hand for another. "On my fucking locker, too." His forehead connected with the tabletop. He already had a red welt there from the previous times his so-called friends hadn't stopped him from the self-injury. 

"Hey, cool it with the head-desk shit." One of his other teammates thumped him hard on the back. "Darius is an asshole and he'll probably dump her in a week for his next fling. She'll get what's coming to her." 

He wasn't even a fan of this man, but his words, though a bit cruel, struck a chord. Thankfully, Aomine didn't consider it to be a negative one. He knew it was petty to wish the worst on her, but he still couldn't use his locker without seeing the way her body had bent against it as a man he had the unwelcomed pleasure of calling his teammate drove into her over and over again. 

"Maybe it would've been different if I didn't walk in on that shit." He groaned, slowly laying his cheek against the cold surface of the table. "I can't un-see that. It's like... burned onto my eyeballs." More sympathetic back pats and muttered Maiko insults were offered, but they did nothing more than make him feel like a loser for pining over a woman he really had no feelings for, despite the longevity of their relationship. 

"Stop with the drinking and go fuck some girl, man." He felt the heavy arm of yet another teammate swing around his shoulders. "Boost your ego. I bet it won't be hard to find someone."

Aomine ignored him and downed another beer, and another, and another.

* * *

 

"Nnnggh..." 

The _fuck is that light coming from?_

The moment he opened his eyes he rolled over with a deep groan. The light burned and sent a searing pain rippling through his head. "Ugh... close the fucking blinds." He wasn't sure who he was talking to, or who complied with his biting demand, but the light went dim and he was finally able to fully open his eyes.

This was  _not_  his apartment. No way would he have that ridiculous painting of a ballerina in mid-leap on his wall, no matter how well it complimented the decor. The room was decorated in a modern black and white. His skin stood out in contrast on bright white couch. He stared at the tear-shaped coffee table and finally lifted his gaze to meet the prying eyes of a young redhead he didn't know. 

He jumped back and instantly noticed his shirt was on the floor. "Oh shit... uh..." He glanced down at his pants, or lack thereof, and felt the heat flare in his cheeks. At least it seemed he had fallen asleep with a pillow in his lap to preserve what little dignity he had left.

"Last night was certainly... interesting," she said, biting back a grin. 

"Fuck... did we...?" He flinched when a young man with dark hair stepped into the kitchen connected to the living room. It took a moment for his eyes to focus, but there was something familiar about that face.

"Heard a lot of fun going on out here last night." He grinned, the laugh that followed was all the hint Aomine needed. 

"Oi, you're that one guy that was always with Midorima. What's your name? Uh..."

"Takao, leave him alone."

Aomine flung himself back against the couch when Midorima entered the living room. "Oh fuck! What the–shit... did I... did we?" Midorima sighed and offered a solemn nod. " _HOLY_  FUCK. NO WAY. NO  _FUCKING_  WAY."

"Aaah, Midorimacchi, leave him alone."

He located the source of that familiar voice in less than a heartbeat. Kise's face was the only welcomed one. He wore a bright blue robe, tied loosely around his waist to expose a pale triangle of skin. His golden hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail that left stray tendrils hanging over his eyes. His lips twitched into an echo of the smile Aomine remembered from so long ago as he grabbed the mug of coffee Takao offered him.

"I can't believe you let Takaocchi talk you into that." 

Midorima scoffed and moved to Takao's side. "Aomine inconvenienced us with his drunken antics last night. I have to be at the hospital in twenty minutes. I don't appreciate being kept up by such a loud, brash voice. He deserved it." Mug in hand, he slid his arm around Takao's waist and pressed a kiss against his temple. "Besides, as if I'd ever stoop so low." 

Aomine growled in response and Kise waved off the irritation with a laugh. "Midorimacchi is so mean!" He padded across the living room and offered Aomine his mug of coffee. "Black." He paused and a golden brow rose. "If that's still how you take it." 

Aomine was momentarily captivated by those eyes. They shimmered like rich, molten gold. It was too early for his eyes to be so bright. Clearing his throat, his head dipped in a nod, but he didn't reach for the handle. "Er... I think I'd rather find my pants first." After all, he was still sitting on their couch completely nude.

Kise chuckled. "Fair enough." He straightened and turned to head down the hall. He glanced over his shoulder and beckoned Aomine forward with a single finger. "I've got your pants in my room."

* * *

 

He didn't know what was making him feel so self-conscious. Prior experience told him he had a nice body. He worked out frequently and had never been out of shape. Changing in front of other men was almost a daily occurrence. But as the blond stood there, golden eyes trained on him, he couldn't help but squirm on the bed. 

"Oi, turn your head," he growled, holding the pillow firmly against his groin. 

Kise chuckled. "It's nothing I haven't seen before." 

Aomine groaned internally. It wasn't Kise's gaze that was bothering him. It was how  _intently_ he was staring, like he was memorizing every last detail, down to the fibers of the cushion that covered him. "Nothing you've seen recently," he grumbled, sliding one leg slowly into each pant hole as he used his elbow to press the cushion in place. 

"I beg to differ." The gleam in Kise's eye made Aomine choke on his spit. 

"Are you... you're fucking with me..." He stopped with the waist of his pants at his upper thighs. "There's no fucking way we–"

"Nah." He waved a hand dismissively and crossed his arms over his chest. "But you were completely naked after about, oh, five minutes of being in my apartment."

Aomine grimaced and pulled a hand down his face. "Shit... ah..." He couldn't remember a single thing after the bar. "How did I–"

"You called me saying you were dying." He watched as the corners of Kise's lips twitched. He was fighting off his laugher well enough, but Aomine knew it was only a matter of time before it surrounded him and made him feel even more embarrassed than he was remotely comfortable with. "So I picked you up and brought you here and, well, you just started taking off your clothes." He snorted and pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "I think you thought you were at home." 

"Tell me that's all I did." 

"You might have collapsed with your legs wipe open on my couch."

Aomine grit his teeth and groaned. 

"And you might have begged me to let you use my lap as a pillow and forced me to stroke your hair until you fell asleep."

_Augh, fuck me._  "Did you?"

A golden brow rose and Kise nodded. "So your girlfriend dumped you for another one of your teammates?" He took slow steps forward until he could lower himself on the bed next to Aomine. Thankfully he had gotten his pants all the way up his waist. The cushion remained as extra protection, more from his own embarrassment than anything else. 

"Dumped is putting that shit lightly." He rubbed his fingers across his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose. "She cheated on me with some bastard. Caught him fucking her against my locker of all places."

He could feel those bright eyes on him. There was nothing but silence between them. He wasn't sure what he had expected. Maybe he wanted a pat on the leg, an arm around the shoulder, some reassuring words, a hug even, but he was greeted with nothing but silence. He swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly turned his head toward Kise. The minute he met those golden eyes, he sucked in a deep breath and bit his bottom lip. Their faces were only inches apart. He could feel the warmth of Kise's breath, taste the subtle hint of his mouthwash (the same brand and flavor he'd used back in high school).

His eyes darted toward Kise's arm. The model was slowly lifting it from the bed, tentatively reaching forward and pressing it against the ace's shoulder. "It's gonna be okay, Aominecchi," he said softly. His thumb brushed back and forth against Aomine's bare skin. 

"Yeah..." He whispered in return, placing a hand on the smooth skin of Kise's leg. It was only now that he noticed the way the robe draped open. The pale triangle his eyes had been drawn to earlier had grown, exposing the dark skin of a nipple. His eyes roamed further downward, watching as the well defined muscles of his stomach clenched, the way they curved inward, almost like an inviting dip to what lay just beneath the soft material that still held its cover.

Maybe he was imagining the way Kise was slowly inching forward, but he didn't care. Imagination or not, he craved this. He had already embarrassed himself more in one night than he had in his entire life. Adding one more thing to his list would do no harm. Besides, the worst that could happen was rejection. 

Throwing any qualms out the window, he leaned forward and stole Kise's lips in a fierce kiss. His imagination had become reality. Kise's arms slid around his neck and Aomine's hand dove into the opening of the robe, pushing it back to reveal a tight pair of blue briefs. 

Kise groaned softly against his lips and any restraints Aomine had left snapped. An arm circled the blond's waist and he nearly threw him further up the mattress. Kise didn't make a sound of protest. He reached forward and pulled Aomine up with him, rolling himself off the bed to meet the ace's hovering body.

Aomine rid him of the boxers and kicked his own pants off soon after. The moment their bare bodies met, he remembered every inch of Kise's lean frame. Hands and mouths were everywhere, and his body throbbed with a need so great it could almost rival his ceaseless desire to be on the court. 

The heat rose between them, higher and higher, and just as Aomine was about to take it further, he felt a gentle hand press against his chest. 

"Condom..." Kise whispered. "Condom... top drawer." 

Aomine wasted no time. Sheathed and ready, he spread Kise's legs until he could get the right angle and sank into a heat he wasn't aware he'd been craving until now. 

"Fuck..."

They moved together, bodies finding a rhythm without so much as a beat to guide them. Higher and higher they rose, panting, groaning, Kise whimpering pleas of "faster", "harder", and the moment Aomine was going to comply, a knock pierced their ears and they both froze.

"Kise-kun! We gotta be at the agency in half an hour." The higher pitch of the voice could only have belonged to the redhead.

"Ah... Okay!" 

They waited for the footsteps to die away before Kise turned those eyes on Aomine once again. "You have five minutes. That's it." He slid his arms around Aomine's back and dug his fingers into the strain of muscle. "Five minutes to fuck me senseless, Aominecchi, or I'll tell everyone about your limp, swinging dick last night." 

Aomine pressed his palm over Kise's mouth and slammed his hips forward. Thankfully, he had muted the scream the blond emitted. "I can do a lot in five minutes, Kise." 

To make up for the night before, Aomine did just that. 

* * *

 

"Do you think it's okay to call?"

"Why not? You guys had sex, right? I don't see why the hell not?"

He could sense his teammate's exasperation in the way he tried not to roll his eyes and his voice came out as more of a huff of annoyance than words. Aomine had his phone in his hand with his fingers hovering over the call button beside Kise's name. He lost count after fifteen, but he had picked up the phone several times, debating whether it was okay for him to call or not.

"Just do it. Stop being such a little bitch."

Aomine glared at his teammate and poked at his food. He was silently cursing himself for even having such a dilemma and with one final, heavy sigh, he opened a message a typed out a text.
    
    
    **Sent to: Kise**  
    
    [text]: hey  
    
    [text]: enjoyed this morning  
    
    [text]: thought maybe we could go get a drink or somethin

He read over the texts three or four times before pressing send. The ping of a new message was almost instantaneous and he stared at the screen.
    
    
    **Received from: Kise  
    ** [text]: hi

"What the fuck?" He hadn't realized he'd spoken out loud until his teammate narrowed his eyes and gestured with his head toward the family with small children behind them. Aomine rolled his eyes and waved off his concern before standing from his seat. "Gotta go." He threw some money on the table. "That'll cover my half."

He stormed out of the restaurant and hailed a cab, something he'd gotten quite good at. If they couldn't communicate well through texts, then he'd just have to go see Kise in person. 

* * *

 

"Kise-san, there's someone here to see you."

Kise braced a foot on the ground and turned the stylist's seat around to find the photographer's assistant. The mousy young man stood at his side, head bowed forward in silent apology. "Eh? Someone here to see me? I don't allow fans in my shoots, you should know that."

The assistant whispered another apology. "But I... He said he's not a fan. He's a childhood friend."

Golden hues widened and he pushed himself from the seat. He half hoped it was Midorima bringing him coffee on one of his rare breaks from the hospital, or even picking up some of Kise's favorite bento from the cafeteria. He knew Midorima wasn't that kind, but he was hoping that it was the doctor-in-training because the person he assumed it was had no business seeking him out at work. 

He ignored his stylist's protests and promised he'd return for a full makeover in just a few minutes. He had to block out her infuriated shout when he ran his hands through his hair, mussing up the hairdo she'd spent so much time on. 

When he stepped into the lobby, he caught sight of exactly the man he had assumed would be here. The ace stood with his hair disheveled from the wind that had picked up outside. His signature bomber jacket brought back memories, both good and bad, and though a part of Kise wanted to ask him to take it off, he also found that it made him look just as devastatingly attractive as ever. 

"I'm working, Aominecchi."

"I know, but you didn't respond to my text."

Kise sighed and ran his hands through his hair again. "I did."

"All you said was hi." 

"That's all I wanted to say." Those dark eyes bore into his own and Kise knew they were searching for something that was no longer there. He averted his gaze and let loose another heavy sigh. "Look, I'm not good at this anymore. I thought it was a one-night-stand type of thing. Weren't you thinking that, too? Just coming to me in desperation after your girlfriend left you." He saw Aomine flinch at the venom he put behind the word "girlfriend". "It was just one of those things that you go to your friends about and say, 'I don't know. It just happened'."

"That was it?"

"Yes... I'm not looking for a relationship. I'd be surprised if you were, too. It was fun and as much as I enjoyed having you drunk in my apartment, it's probably not a good idea to have that happen again. We can get together some other time to catch up over coffee or something like that, but right now I'm working and I gotta go. Sorry." 

This time Aomine didn't even get a wave when Kise walked down the hall. 

* * *

 

He found himself back at the bar again, but this time he was pacing himself. There was no way he was going to end up as drunk as he was the night before. 

"Poor Mine-chin." 

Murasakibara had appeared out of nowhere. He didn't remember him showing up or why he had finally decided to put in his own input. Aomine silently hoped that was as far as his advice would go.

"Does Mine-chin want a bite of my cheesecake?"

Aomine sighed and shook his head. "No. Get that shit away from me. Why don't you go find Himuro? I'm sure he'll share it with you?" He stared mournfully at his phone, cursing himself for hoping that he'd see the blond's name pop up on the screen. He glanced to the side and caught that same bored expression Murasakibara wore since they'd gone to school together. He always thought he had perfected that look, but his had cracks. It paled in comparison to the purple-haired giant's next to him.

"Maybe Mine-chin should call and offer to share your snacks."

Aomine's head fell into the palms of his hands and he groaned. "Murasakibara....Just go fucking find Himuro."

As if he'd been hiding in the shadows behind them all along, Himuro stepped up behind the pair of them. "Ah, there you are Atsushi."

"Muro-chiiiiin," Murasakibara drawled. "Don't you think Mine-chin should share his snacks with his girlfriend?"

Himuro's brow rose and tilted his head to the side. "Aomine-kun has a girlfriend? I thought she had cheated on you with one of your teammates. Are you two back together?"

Aomine shot Himuro a venomous glare. "Someone else," he replied through gritted teeth.

Himuro laughed, the sound more mischievous than amusing. "I see." He turned toward Murasakibara, placing a hand on the larger male's shoulder. "Atsushi, how about you let me buy you a cupcake? I hear they have a new special flavor today."

Those were the magic words and Aomine was thankful for them, even if a part of him wanted to strangle Himuro for the last comment. Murasakibara stood from his seat behind Aomine and nodded his head in goodbye. He turned in his seat to watch the pair of them leave, intent on returning to his solitude. Himuro paused and turned to face Aomine, ignoring the scowl on the ace's face. He lifted his hand, miming the gesture of answering a phone as mouthed, "Your phone," before disappearing into the crowd.

Aomine spun around in time to see a message flash across his screen.
    
    
    **Received from: Kise**  
    
    [text]: my house in an hour?

Aomine stared at the text in disbelief. He thumbed the button atop his phone and watched as the screen went blank. A heartbeat later, he switched the screen back on and reread the message to ensure it was still there before he responded.
    
    
    **Sent to: Kise  
    ** [text]: ill be there

* * *

 

"Goddamnit, Kise" 

They were a sweaty, panting mess. Their chests heaved with each heavy breath and Aomine was reluctant to move because of the tightness in his muscles. It felt like a real work out, and maybe it was. The way Kise rolled his body atop his own, his hips frantically trying to dig deeper when there was no where else to go, was more of a work out than his basketball practices. 

Kise chuckled against his body and Aomine ruffled his hair. "That's one way to put it," the blond conceded. 

Aomine was even comfortable with the weight of the blond on top of him. He could smell Kise's shampoo, that faint lavender scent easy to pick up through the sweat, the cologne and the natural scents of their bodies. He pushed a few strands of those longer hairs out of Kise's face and snorted. "You really should get this shag cut."

Kise rolled his eyes and started to push himself up. "A lot of fans like the longer hair," he replied, rolling off the ace and standing to search for his clothes. It was like a scavenger hunt. His clothing was everywhere. He found his pants tucked underneath the bed. His briefs were draped over the lampshade and he couldn't seem to locate his shirt. 

"Oi, why are you even bothering to look for your clothes? What's your hurry?"

"Got an interview in an hour."

"That doesn't give you much time."

"No."

Aomine frowned. He didn't want to admit it out loud, but a part of him was hoping they could stay tangled beneath the sheets. He didn't even want to admit it to himself. "You're sure you can't lay around for a few more minutes?"  _Fuck, I hope that didn't sound desperate_.

Kise glanced up from his bent over position as he pulled his pants up his slender waist. "I can't, Aominecchi." He watched the ace's expression twitch and he sighed. "Look, I enjoyed this. I really like having you around and this all..." He gestured toward the bed and the mess they'd made of the room. "Feels fantastic. But my schedule is insane. I had a shoot this morning and two hours between that and an interview. After that I have another shoot, another interview and then a fundraiser. Almost every day my schedule is this jam packed." 

Aomine crossed his arms behind his head and listened. 

"I'm not looking for a relationship. I already told you that. I need someone who can be there when I need the physical attention and release from a stressful work day. I can't have someone who wants me to be there all the time 'cause I can't be. I won't stay and cuddle and I won't wake up in the morning and have breakfast with you 'cause I'll probably be gone by the time you wake up. I just want... I wanna be friends, Aominecchi. I don't want any emotional attachments besides friendship. But I kind of want the benefits of the sex involved in that, too."

He let the words sink in. There was no denying that he had missed the blond. He wanted him back in his life, even if it was only as friends. He needed a real friend out here. And he definitely didn't need to rush into a relationship after what had happened with Maiko.  _Not to mention the fact that the sex is phenomenal._  He knew Kise had changed since they parted. He was no longer that enthusiastic, exuberant young man he'd been back in high school. He was a little more reserved, more job oriented. There were emotional barriers that Aomine could see even as Kise traipsed about the room half naked. No amount of baring skin would peel away that fine layer left behind and Aomine knew it would take more than just a good lay to get Kise to open up to him. 

"Fine," he finally said.

Kise turned toward him, eyes wide and surprised. 

"We can do this friends with benefits thing. I'm not looking for a relationship either. Sex friends is fine with me 'cause I like the idea of a good fuck whenever the hell I need one."

Kise's eyes lit up. It wasn't as bright as the way they lit up in high school, but it was an echo of that shine. He walked around the bed and reached under Aomine's pillow to tug out his shirt. "Thief," he breathed before stealing a kiss.

"Mmm... Just make sure you don't fall in love with me, Kise."

Kise snorted as he pulled away. "I won't make that mistake again, Aominecchi."

Aomine chuckled and shook his head, pretending that comment didn't hurt as much as it did.

* * *

 

 
    
    
    **Received from: Kise**
    [text]: got 45 minutes between my shoots. you free?
    
    
      
      
    
    Sent to: Kise  
    
    [text]: already on the way  
    
    [text]: be there in 10

* * *
    
    
    **Sent to: Kise**  
    
    [text]: locker room is empty for the next hour and a half
    
    
      
      
    
    Received from: Kise  
    
    [text]: shoot ends in 10. be there in 30?

* * *

**  
**
    
    
    **Received from: Kise**  
    
    [text]: i have off tonight  
    
    [text]: you have a game right?
    
    
      
      
    
    Sent to: Kise  
    
    [text]: yeah.  
    
    [text]: starts at 7  
    
    [text]: you finally gonna use those tickets i left for you?
    
    
      
      
    
    Received from: Kise  
    
    [text]: depends on how you plan on celebrating when you win ;P
    
    
      
      
    
    Sent to: Kise  
    
    [text]: i have a lot of way to celebrate in mind  
    
    [text]: all of them involve you and clothing is prohibited ;]
    
    
      
      
    
    Received from: Kise  
    
    [text]: guess i'll have to take those tickets then haha

* * *

"Fuck... I don't think I can move."

Aomine could hear Kise's laughter through the pillow pressed over his face. He rolled over and let his eyes roam over the blond's naked body. His lean frame was angled toward the ace, one knee bent as the other leg stretched along the length of the mattress. The free hand not pressed against the pillow was draped limply over his waist, fingers resting against the jut of his hip bone. With Kise's face covered, he could stare without feeling admonished by the look the blond would surely give him. 

He fell back against the mattress when Kise pulled the pillow off his face and glanced at the ace. "You left marks again, baka."

Aomine didn't have to look at the blond's body to know they were there. He remembered where he left every single one. "Oops."

Kise rolled his eyes and slapped Aomine's arm. He reached for his phone on the bedside table and read the time on the bright screen. Aomine could see the countless messages lined up in the brief glimpse he caught before the screen went blank. "I've gotta go." He rolled off the bed and dressed, making his way to the bedroom door. "You can let yourself out, Aominecchi. There's probably coffee out there. Maybe Takaocchi even has some leftover breakfast you can steal."

"I hate breakfast," Aomine muttered, remembering Kise's words from the beginning of their arrangement.

Kise snorted. "Whatever you say." And he left.

Aomine stared at the empty doorway. He could still see the blond, like an imprint outlined against the frame. He fell back against the bed with a sigh. He'd been the one to give the warning when they came to this agreement and it felt like he was the one who wasn't heeding it.

_There's no way I'm the one falling._

* * *
    
    
    **Sent to: Kise**  
    
    [text]: you home?  
    
    [text]: ive got some free time
    
    
      
      
    
    Received from: Kise  
    
    [text]: sick. don't come over  
    
    [text]: cant even get out of bed

* * *

The buzzer sounded in the apartment and Kise remained in bed, pretending not to hear. Takao was home, so he knew he was absolved of the obligation to answer. He propped himself up on his elbows, straining to hear Takao's voice through his bedroom door. Unable to make out the words, he fell back against the mattress and pulled the blankets over his head.

The sound of Takao buzzing someone up made him jump. He peered over the top of the blanket and narrowed his eyes.  _There's no way... Maybe Midorimacchi forgot his keys._

There was a distinct sound of the door opening and he was almost certain that deep voice was the one he had assumed he'd heard. Footsteps drew closer and closer to his bedroom until the door slowly opened.

Before the ace could step inside, Kise flung his pillow at the door. "Baka! I told you not to come!" 

A dark arm slipped through the crack in the door, a bag in hand. "I've got soup. Your favorite kind." Golden hues eyed the bag as Aomine's head peered around the corner. "And I brought some ice cream for when we watch the Phantom of the Opera later." He pulled a DVD out of the bag with a cover that the blond was well acquainted with. "Bought you a new blanket too." Draped over his shoulder was a blanket, blue and white for the colors of Kise's high school. 

Kise stared in silence, taking in everything the ace brought, even taking in the ace himself. With a sigh, he pulled the comforter down and patted the bed beside him. "You can have this spot if you go heat up the soup."

Aomine grinned and Kise couldn't stop himself from smiling as well. "Got it. Be back in a bit."

* * *

"You gotta sing along even when you cough every five minutes?"

Kise cleared his throat and belted out the final note of the song. Of course, he fell into a coughing fit soon after, but he was satisfied. There was no way he could watch this movie and not sing the most signature song. 

Aomine snorted and pulled Kise's head against his shoulder, ruffling the soft blond hair and pressing a kiss against his forehead. "Baka. Don't strain yourself like that. You're supposed to be getting better."

He felt Kise relax against his body and he took that as invitation to slip his arm around the blond's waist. For once, he wasn't pushed away. Kise sighed and turned his face up to meet Aomine's. 

"I wanna ask for a kiss, but you'll get sick and you have a game to win."

Aomine rolled his eyes. "You don't ask for kisses, baka Kise." He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against those soft lips. "You take them," he whispered as he pulled back. 

Kise was tired. He could see the way his lids fluttered open and closed, like he was fighting to stay awake. It was a fight he was losing, though, and soon his breathing evened out with a small rasp at the end of each soft breath. Aomine smiled, a serene, genuine smile, and pressed another kiss against the blond's forehead.

"Sleep well, Ryouta."  

* * *

He awoke with a body conformed to the front of his own.

His legs were tangled with another pair and when he breathed in, the faint scent of lavender teased his nostrils. He opened his eyes to find a shock of blond hair resting in front of his face. His arm was draped over Kise's stomach and the blond was holding onto his arm like a child would a teddy bear. He could feel that warm breath against his hand and he was reluctant to pull back. There was a comfort he hadn't known he needed in this simple moment, having Kise pressed against him like this. He knew if he moved, it would end. 

He didn't have to debate long, however, because Kise stirred. Aomine pretended to be asleep. He felt the blond's head shift and he heard a distinct groan. 

"Ugh... Aominecchi... Aominecchi, get up." His arm was pushed back toward him and Kise rolled to the side, putting some distance between them. "We fell asleep."

Aomine rubbed at his eyes and slowly blinked away what sleep still lingered. "Eh? I guess we did. Oh well."

"No. We fell asleep  _together_."

"Obviously, baka."

"Cuddling," Kise finished with a frown. "We were spooning. Your arm was around me."

"Guess it just kinda happened."

Kise sighed. "It doesn't just happen, Aominecchi." He watched the blond rub at his face, pulling his lips into a deeper frown. "God... we were  _cuddling_."

It was Aomine's turn to frown. "It was just cuddling, Kise. Doesn't matter."

"No... maybe we should take a break from this." He turned to face the ace. "I mean, really... you brought me soup when I was sick. You watched a musical with me. That's too much, Aominecchi. Sex friends don't–"

"Sex friends are still friends, Kise. I'm allowed to take care of my  _friend_."

"I just need a little break." He watched Kise pull the covers up to his chin. "Maybe you should go sleep with someone else. Maybe that would help."

Aomine's eyes widened and his voice rose a pitch, incredulous. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"I mean, I can do it too. Maybe. But it might help." 

"How the hell will that help?"

"This was dangerously close to relationship material, Aominecchi! I told you, no relationships! No cuddling, no lovey dovey stuff! I can't.... I can't do that..."

Aomine fisted the blanket. His eyes narrowed into a glare. "Right. Of course you can't. How could I forget?"

Kise bit his lower lip and averted his eyes. "Just for a little bit..."

"Yeah, whatever." Aomine shoved himself off the bed and made his way toward the door. "You can keep the movie and the blanket."

"Bye..."

"Yeah." 

* * *

 

**~3 Months Ago~**

How many drinks was it now? "Is this number five?"

"Kise-kun... we have a shoot tomorrow morning. Are you sure you wanna drink that much?"

Kise waved off the concern and downed half the contents of his cup. "I'm good, Ayumu. Barely feel it." He swayed and was forced to grip the table for support. 

Ayumu twirled a curled, red hang around her index finger and pressed a hand against Kise's shoulder. "This isn't proper, you know... back home we–"

"Well, we aren't back home, are we?" Kise retorted, yanking his arm away and stumbling to the side. He pulled his eyes away from the worry deep within her dark brown hues and found the muscled form of a well known underwear model in his agency. Kise had always been a fan of his photos because he didn't use his face. It was all body language and it was a skill Kise envied. But sometimes his thick, caveman eyebrows made him cringe. Right now he was too drunk to care about eyebrows, or anything else for that matter. "I'll be... right back." He gestured toward the model and stumbled away, ignoring Ayumu's shout of disapproval. 

"Heeeey, you." Kise shouldered the model's arm and flashed a dazzling smile.

"Ah, Kise." A smile nearly as bright returned his own. "I should have known you'd be here. Always so dedicated."

"Mmm... I'm dedicated to a lot of things, Kiyoshi." He pressed a hand against the swell of muscle in Kiyoshi's arm. "And right now I have a good way to show that dedication in mind."

One of those bushy brows rose and his lips quirked into a faint smirk. "I think I might be drunk enough for that. Then again," The smirk faded and genuine confusion crossed Kiyoshi's visage. "I don't think I've had anything to drink."

Kise frowned. He never tried to understand the weird things Kiyoshi said. Instead, he patted the man's arm and said, "Go get your coat, big boy." 

* * *

"WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, MY FRIEND!"

Aomine grimaced. This song had been playing since they got to the party and he couldn't count how many drunk voices rose to sing along since he'd arrived. He wasn't drunk enough to sing along, and even if he had been, he probably would have left. He avoided getting drunk for a reason. 

"I think I might go home," he finally said, placing his drink on the glass coffee table in front of him.

"Nah, man, stay! Find a hot chick to hook up with and, you know, just have fun. Let loose. "

"I don't want to be around drunk assholes all night anyway." 

His teammate gave up his insistence, or lack thereof, and let Aomine stand. He didn't even bother to say goodbye, swinging himself over to the next person who would listen. 

Aomine sighed. He had come here hoping to distract himself from thinking about the one person who didn't want to see him. He hated that he still wanted to be there with Kise even after what the blond had said. But he was trying to find someone else, even if all they were was a momentary distraction. He wasn't finding anyone here. 

He had to push through crowds of people to find the door. It was a championship party after all. Champions were around every corner, bodies pressed against a beautiful woman of their choice. No one tried to hide their affections and it made him grimace. 

The door was in his line of sight, but someone stumbled into him right before he could reach an arm out to grab the handle. He caught that slender waist right before the girl could fall to the floor. The moment he pulled her up against his body, he knew who it was. 

"Aomine! I knew I'd find you here." Her high pitched squeal made him cringe. 

"Ah... Maiko."

She pressed a hand against his chest to steady herself as she slowly stepped back. "I know this is stupid of me to do, but I wanted to apologize. I was so dumb and I was caught up in his short-lived fame and he was just... he was nothing like you. I was just being stupid."

He didn't hear a single word. The apology was hollow, he knew that much, but this was exactly what he was looking for, right? A distraction. A "one-night-stand" as Kise had so kindly put it before. He had no intention of restarting a failed relationship, but he knew Maiko. 

"Hey, hey." He raised a hand to interrupt her train of thought. "Hey, you wanna get outta here?"

* * *

The moment Kiyoshi walked away, his phone beeped. It took him about three tries to turn his screen on and read the message, but it wasn't even words. He stared at the picture. Even inebriated, he would remember that face. 

"What the–"  _How dare he go back to her instead..._

He threw his phone in his pocket and started searching the party for Kiyoshi. He was more determined than before to follow through with this. He ran into Ayumu more than once, but all of her words of discouragement flew right over his head. 

Now he was frustrated. There were only so many rooms and Kiyoshi wasn't in a single one. He was getting sick of missing the man, assuming he had walked past him more than once. He decided to check the coat room one last time when his phone rang.

"You're stuuuuupid to go back to her, bakaaaa." 

"Ryouta?"

Kise paused and pulled his phone away from his ear. It wasn't Aomine's name on his screen. "Ah.... sis, I thought you were–"

"What was that even supposed to mean, Ryouta?"

"Nothing, nothing. What're you calling about?" 

There was a moments silence before she said. "Have you been drinking?"

"I'm at a fundraiser. I had a drink... or two." He thought he was coherent enough.

"Well, if you're too intoxicated to listen to me then–"

"No! No! Tell me what you were calling about."

He could hear whispering in the background, the distinct sound of her boyfriend's voice. His other sister might have been there, too. "Okay, well... I wanted to tell you in person, but I don't know when we'll be seeing you. Ryouta... I'm getting married!" 

Kise almost dropped his phone. "You're... you're what?"

"I'm getting married! He proposed! On the dock where we met. It was so romantic, Ryouta. You would've loved it! And we're thinking the wedding will be pretty soon. He wants to move to–"

"I've gotta go. I'll talk to you later." 

He hung up without another word and threw his phone into his pocket. As he stumbled out the door, he heard Ayumu call after him. He threw her his keys and slid down the stairs to hail a cab.

"TAXI!" His shrill voice drew the attention of everyone around him. "TAAAAXIIII!"

A cab finally pulled to the side of the road. He flung the door open and fell inside. "Take me to Aominecchi's house."

"Er–I don't know where that is, sir."

Kise threw a couple hundred dollar bills into the front seat. "Drive. Just drive."

With ample incentive, the cab driver took off.

* * *

Unfortunately for Aomine, having Maiko in the house brought back memories of when they were together and subsequently the memory of when she cheated on him with one his most hated teammates. 

The moment they stepped through the door she tried to throw herself at him and he caught her mid-leap and shook his head. "Look, I need a drink first." Her arms had fallen to her sides and the look of dejection had not gone unnoticed, but he found he couldn't draw out a drop of sympathy to care. 

It had already been almost half an hour. She was leaning back against his couch with her dress hiked all the way up her thighs. She was showing a lot of leg and a lot of cleavage, leaning her body forward to give him a better view. But his eyes remained on the ice cubes floating in his drink. He wasn't thinking about Maiko, even when she was right in front of him.

"Aomine. did we really leave that party just to sit here?" Her impatience was duly noted. 

"You can go back if you want." 

"But I thought we were gonna–"

A sharp rap against his door pulled him from the recesses of his mind. He glanced up and narrowed his eyes, turning the glare on Maiko. "I swear to god, you better not have invited anyone else." 

He ignored her denial as he made his way to the door, certain he'd find a few more beautiful women meant to distract him. However, there was a familiar blond in his doorway and there was nothing "woman" about him. "Kise..."

Kise pushed Aomine aside and stomped into his house. "Oi, Kise, what're you–"

"Is she still here?" he snapped. Despite the sharp tone, he could hear the slur in Kise's voice. Though he could always pinpoint the lavender scent he'd grown to associate with the model, it smelled like Kise had tried to drown himself in alcohol. 

"Is who–"

"There you are, you bitch." He tried to make a grab for her but fell over the back of the couch instead.

Aomine fought back a laugh as Maiko screamed and jumped out of her seat. She turned to him, eyes pleading, asking for help. He shrugged in response. "The man's drunk. I ain't gonna be able to stop him."

Maiko made a break for the door and very nearly caught Kise's outstretched arm on the way out. "Your tits aren't even impressive! You're no Mai-chan!" Kise shouted after her.

Aomine snorted and crouched beside the blond on the floor. "Looks like someone got a little drunk." 

"Aominecchi... your floor caught me, but it still hurt." 

Grinning, Aomine slipped an arm around Kise's waist and pulled the drunken blond off the floor. "You're a mess," he said quietly. "What the hell are you doing here anyway?"

He didn't receive a verbal response and he had no time to come up with another himself. Kise flung his arms around Aomine's neck and pressed his lips against the ace's. Before rational thought could take the wheel, Aomine had both arms around his waist, holding Kise flush against the front of his body.

Clothing was a temporary obstacle, swiftly removed. Their hands roamed each other bodies, tongues tangling, mouths moving everywhere. Kise reached his orgasm once from Aomine's hand, once from that hot mouth and a final time with the ace buried so deeply inside he couldn't tell where his body ended and Aomine's began, even with the stark contrast between their skin tones.

Aomine found Kise's hand as he thrust into him, lacing their fingers together. He felt Kise squeeze back when he reached his climax and he screamed Aomine's name, his first name. The sound of his real name coming from the Kise's lips brought his release only moments later and he collapsed atop the blond, unable to move.

For once, he wasn't pushed off. Kise draped an arm around his back and trailed his fingers up and down the ace's spine. "Aominecchi..." Aomine lifted his head and met those half-lidded golden hues. "I don't like her... I don't want you to go back to her." 

Aomine shook his head and stole a kiss. "I wasn't." He kissed him again. "I won't."

"I don't want Aominecchi not to be with me."

He snorted. "You're drunk." 

He watched Kise lean forward to steal another kiss. "You're wrong." His head fell back against the pillow. "I'm  _very_  drunk." 

With a roll of his eyes, Aomine flipped their positions, settling Kise against his chest. "Baka Kise," he whispered, slowly running his fingers through that soft, blond hair. "Listen, I wanna ask you for something, but you gotta remember it in the morning."

Kise nodded his head and hummed in contentment. 

"Promise me?"

"I proooomise."

"I wanna take you on a date." 

Kise froze. 

"Come on, Kise. You just said you didn't want me to be with anyone else. Just one date. Man up and let me take you on a date."

Kise frowned, even drunk he was just as obstinate as ever. 

"One date and if you hate it, we won't do it again."

He waited, expecting to be shot down, but Kise sighed and said, "Fine. One date, Aominecchi. But no flowers! I get enough of those from my fans." His head fell forward and he pressed his cheek against the ace's chest. 

Aomine tilted his head back to hide the smile that spread across his lips. 

_One date is all I need, Ryouta._

* * *

Aomine willingly donned a nice button up and some matching slacks. He held a bouquet of stuffed roses behind his back. Kise had asked for no flowers, but Aomine hadn't necessarily brought flowers. He bent the rules a bit to have an excuse to give Kise the real date he wanted to take him on.

He leaned against the side of his car, waiting for Kise to exit the modeling agency. A few other somewhat familiar faces came out first, eyeing him and offering nods of hello. He wasn't one for passing acknowledgment, but he offered a nod in return. His eyes finally found the blond just inside the glass doors. 

Kise looked stellar as usual. He wore a loose gray cardigan with a light blue top underneath. His dress slacks were pitch black and hugged all the right places. It was strange thinking that about a man, but the thought crossed Aomine's mind regardless. 

"You look fucking amazing, model-san," he teased, pulling the stuffed bouquet from behind his back. 

Kise chuckled and shook his head. "I asked for no flowers, baka." He grabbed the bouquet and slapped it against the ace's shoulder. "But thank you. They're very soft."

Aomine took a step back and swept open the car door. "The day is just beginning. I have more than just fluffy flowers planned for you." 

"Oooh, how exciting."

* * *

It was almost like Aomine had a set schedule for them, down to the last minute. Kise was swept away by how gentlemanly the ace could be. He offered to pay for lunch, a simple burger and fries, but Aomine pulled the pittance out of his pocket and whisked Kise off to the aquarium. They had a new dolphin show and Kise loved the smiling, chattering creatures.

Aomine made sure their seats weren't too close to the front. Kise was the type to care about when his clothing got wet. Despite the distance, the seats were still magnificent and the way those golden eyes lit up after every trick made the show worthwhile. He found himself watching Kise more than he watched the dolphins. The blond was a much more enticing sight, after all. 

After the aquarium, they took a stroll around the park. Despite wearing some of their nicer clothing, Aomine challenged Kise to a game of one-on-one. Kise claimed to be out of practice and a few games in, with Aomine being the victor of every single one, that fact became very apparent. Kise was on his knees panting and muttered insults in the ace's direction. Despite his disadvantage, he was getting better with every game. It seemed that perfect copy ability of his was still well intact, if only a little rusty.

They moved from the park to a small ice cream shop where Aomine bought them a milkshake to share. Kise complained about the size, claiming he wanted his own, but Aomine clicked his tongue and reminded him that it was a date. By the end, nearly the entire glass was clean, even the sides were almost spotless. They took drinking a milkshake as a challenge and fought to catch every last drop. 

Sated with ice cream, Aomine drove them to a place well known for its attraction of couples. It was a small garden, dotted with flickering lights in the evening hours. They arrived just as they were turning the lights on.

Aomine flicked his car into park and walked around the passenger side to let Kise out. The blond tentatively reached for his hand and reluctantly stepped out of the vehicle. He slowly followed behind Aomine, eyes darting from couple to couple.

Each glance over his shoulder showed a deeper frown on Kise's face. Concerned, Aomine turned around and placed a hand on the blond's shoulder. It was instantly shrugged off. "What's wrong?"

"Can we go?"

"What?"

"Can we go?" Kise turned a pleading gaze toward the ace. "I don't wanna be here. This is just... this is too much."

Aomine stared and shook his head. "No. It's not. It's a date, Kise." He tried to reach for the blond's hand, but Kise pulled it back. "This is the last place, then we go home."

"Can't we just skip it?"

"No. I want to go here with you."

"Well, I don't."

"What the hell is your problem?"

"You  _know_  I don't like this stuff. You know how I feel about–"

"No, Kise. I know you  _do_  like this kind of stuff because I  _know you_. You're a hopeless romantic. I don't know why the hell you feel the need to hide that with me. You're the type who wants to lay under the goddamn stars and fall asleep in each other's arms. The type who wants to hold hands while walking down the beach. I don't know why the hell you want to pretend you don't like that anymore because I can see how excited you get. I can see–"

"Shut up, Aominecchi! Shut up! You  _don't_  know me anymore. You don't. You just... I can't even talk to you about this. It doesn't matter. I can take care of myself. I don't need someone to take me on sappy dates and I don't need someone to–"

"I love you, Ryouta." 

Kise flinched.

"I love you, okay? I am so fucking madly in love with you and every single time I'm with you, it hurts. But that's what love is, right? Pain. If I wasn't in so much pain, I would know I didn't give a shit. But I am. I let this happen because I want you in my life.  _I want you_." His fingers curled into his palm. "Is that so goddamn bad?"

"Yes! Because I can't let myself want you! I won't be hurt again. I'm not stupid enough to fall into one of these traps again. I'm not that naive little boy anymore. I don't want to do this, Aominecchi. I don't. Take me home."

People were staring now. Kise could feel it. He was always in the spotlight, but right now, standing here with tears running down his cheeks, he didn't want people staring. He didn't want to be recognized. And he definitely didn't want Aomine to look at him the way he was right now, with all that raw emotion. 

"Fine," Aomine finally whispered. "Fine." 

They returned to the car and drove in silence to Kise's apartment. Aomine could tell that Kise wanted to invite him up, despite what had happened, but he remained silent and nodded his goodbye. As he stepped out of the car, Aomine leaned across the seat and met those watery, golden eyes. He almost caved then, but the deep rift that tore apart his chest was enough to remind him that he couldn't.

"I won't be seeing you again," he said. "I won't try to call or text you. You don't have to worry about that."

Kise didn't move. Aomine could see his hand shaking and his lip wobbling as he attempted to compose himself. "I understand," the blond finally whispered before turning and disappearing into his apartment building.  

* * *

 

 

**~Now~**

"Ryouta! I’m so glad we could come out here to get married!" 

Kise’s family was in New York. His sister had insisted they marry at one of the beautiful chapels downtown. Though in all actuality, her reason for choosing the city was for one reason only; to ensure her baby brother partake in her wedding ceremony. 

Kise caught her in a big hug and held her tight as she rattled off everything she could about the plane ride and their hotel that she could fit in one breath. He laughed and let her go, promising they could catch up after his photo shoot. They had plans to get coffee, after all.

If she hadn’t complied, he wouldn’t have been on time to the café as he was right now. His sister was already seated, a small mug placed in front of her. “Ryouta, you’re late,” she teased, tapping the table with her perfectly manicured nails.

"Actually, I’m right on time." He grinned and flashed the time on his phone screen. His cup of coffee was already waiting for him at the counter. He frequented the café between shoots enough times that the baristas knew him by sight and had memorized his order. 

Once seated across from his sister, he waited for her to start the conversation. Though they’d been apart for quite some time he could still tell when she had something on her mind. 

"Spill it, Ryouta," she finally said.

"Eh?"

"Don’t play dumb with me. Who are you pining after?"

Startled, Kise nearly spilled his coffee when his grip on the cup loosened. Thinking it wise to keep the coffee on the table, he lifted his eyes to meet the mirror image of his own. “I… I’m not pining.”

"But there _is_ someone."

Kise sighed. He wished he was the only one who could read minds between them. “It’s… complicated. Or it was. It’s over now.” His sister reached across the table and grabbed his hand. He turned his palm upward and tightened his fingers around hers. “It’s my fault it's over too. I was… I was being so stupid. Now all I can do is think about him and it's… it's just painful.” 

His sister didn’t even bat an eye when she found out his love interest was also a man. “Call him, honey.” She brushed her thumb across his hand. “Call him and talk to him if you can’t get him off your mind.”

"I can’t… he doesn’t want to hear from me ever again."

"How can you be so sure?" 

Kise bit his bottom lip in contemplation. Aomine had been the one to say he wouldn’t contact Kise, but never had he said the blond couldn’t contact him. That was enough confirmation for him. Kise reached for his phone with his free hand and pressed the button he’d been hovering over for months. 

The phone rang so much he thought his call would be ignored, but finally that voice he’d grown to love came through the speaker, gruff and deep. 

"What do you want?"

Kise flinched and looked at his sister who returned his worried gaze with concern of her own. “Hey.” It sounded like a lame response. “I was just…” As he held the phone to his ear, listening to the soft sounds of Aomine’s breathing. he found he wasn’t sure what to say. He had lost the ability to articulate his feelings when he put up barriers that even he couldn’t tear down. “I was thinking about you and… I remembered you had an important game today, too. How did that go?”

"Well enough. We won."

"That’s awesome. Aominecchi never loses."

"Really, what the hell did you call for?"

"I just… I wanted to hear your voice." 

There was rough sigh from the other end of the phone. “That’s not fair at all and you know it. You were the one that pushed me away. remember? Not the other way around, Ryouta.” 

Kise jumped. Maybe it was a slip of the tongue, but he used his first name. He stood from the seat so suddenly the chair rocked backward and nearly fell over. His sister stared at him, confused, but she said nothing as he waved his goodbye and mouthed a promise to tell her everything when he returned. 

He started running. He could hear the distinct sound of a basketball hitting pavement. A few children could be heard in the background, too. He had a feeling he knew where Aomine was. 

As he ran, the ace kept talking. “You can’t just fucking call and expect everything to be better. A call is so impersonal. So is a text, so don’t even try. If you want to make any effort to reconcile, if that’s even a possibility, you have to do it in person.”

He slammed into the fence surrounded the basketball court, rattling the chain links to draw attention to himself. “I am here… in person.”

Aomine stared, so startled he dropped his phone and had to scramble to catch it. Kise walked around the court to slowly push the door open. He stood right at the threshold until Aomine’s hand rose and beckoned him in.

"What the hell are you doing here?" 

Kise bent and pressed his hands to his knees, fighting to catch his breath. 

"Did you run here? What the hell is wrong with you?"

He waved his hand to dismiss the question. “I just…” He straightened and met Aomine’s incredulous stare. “You said I needed to talk to you in person and here I am.” He took one step forward and stopped when he saw the ace take a step back. “I love you, Daiki.” There was a significance he wanted to convey that his nickname could not. “I love you so much. And I don’t care if you think it's too late to say it because… I have to say it. I have to say it at least once, even though I want to tell you and show you every day how much I mean it.” 

Aomine shook his head. “But you said–”

"I know what I said, Daiki. I know." His fingers curled into his palm as he forced himself not to reach out to the ace. There were boundaries he didn’t want to overstep if he wasn’t allowed to. "And I was wrong. I just… I was so hurt when you told me we were nothing. So hurt… and I thought if I let us be in a relationship again that… I don’t know, I’d get hurt all over again. I thought friends with benefits could save me from that pain, but…" Tears streamed down his cheeks and his hands shook at his side. "This pain I feel now is worse than all of that. And I know I did this to myself, that I didn’t try hard enough to stop feeling so vulnerable and scared, but I wanna try again because I love you. I love you, Daiki. I love you."

If Kise had not been crying himself, he would have jumped to the conclusion that Aomine was crying as well. There was a distinct way his eyes shimmered in the light that suggested the possibility of tears. “Daiki, please…” He took a single step forward and paused when the ace lifted a hand to stop him.

"Ryouta… if you take another step closer, I swear to god…" Aomine squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "I won’t ever be able to let you go again."

Kise crossed the distance of the court in a heartbeat. Aomine’s arms wrapped tightly around his body and their lips met in a heated, desperate kiss. He could feel their heartbeats, erratic and uncontrolled, match one another’s as if they were beating to the tune of the same drum. 

"Daiki…" He slid a hand down Aomine’s arm and found the warmth of the ace’s palm. He laced their fingers together and squeezed. "I wanna hold your hand."

Aomine grinned and kissed him again. “I want to call you baby.”

"I wanna call you babe."

"Mmm… well, baby, I think we have a wedding to attend."

Kise smiled. He didn’t know how Aomine knew about the wedding, and he didn’t care. He had this man to himself. After all the years of forcing himself to let go, he finally found a better form of release. “I think we’ll need to find some nicer clothes, babe.”

"Well, I’ve got a car." Aomine dangled the keys in front of Kise’s face. "And I’ve got room in the backseat…"

"I think we’ve got an hour to spare."

"I like the way you think, baby." 


End file.
